German packaging printer Offermann-Verpackungen, in Eschweiler, celebrated its 25th jubilee this year by installing a KBA Rapida 105 universal offset press. The five colour coater press with extended delivery has turbo boosted capacity, and Gottfried Offermann enthuses: “We can now print in one day what used to take a week”.
At present, ISO 9001:2000 accreditated Offermann focuses on solid board, but has received a number of enquiries for G and F-flute work. Stock weights range from 250g/m2 for healthcare products to 300-400g/m2 for food packaging, and 700g/m2 for industrial packaging. Most of the cartons it prints are GD2, GC, GC2 and GK1.
“Originally we ordered a four colour Rapida coater press,” explains Gottfried Offermann, “but we received so many requests for special colours that we soon changed that to a five colour. Now we could sometimes do with a sixth colour.”
Key feature on the press is the coater. It can apply blister and gloss coating alternately along with simple protective and barrier coatings for food packaging. Two different screen rollers are used, depending on the volume of coating to be applied. Since the press runs in just one shift (though this is sometimes much extended), switching between different coatings is relatively simple: after shutdown, the coater is cleaned out completely and the press converted ready for the next run. This routine will continue even when two-shift operation begins in the autumn.
The company is currently preparing for HACCP certification, and many of the criteria have already been fulfilled, allowing it to print a wide choice of food packaging that now accounts for a large proportion of output. Since four blanks for food packaging measure 730mm, specified a sheet format of 740 x 1,050mm, 20mm longer than standard. The Rapida also features KBA’s Logotronic Basic management information system, which allows external prepress data to be downloaded in JDF for press preset. It also supports the option of production networking at a later date.
Offermann’s finishing department runs a Bobst and an Iberica die cutter and a folding carton gluing machine. There are plans to add another gluer to keep pace with the larger print volume, and this will boast a coding capability so the firm can expand its range of drug packaging. There is room on the site to double the present 2,000m² of production space.
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